Danger Sign
A proposed sign for Kootenai Falls warns of the dangers posed by powerful currents.
Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
|
|
Warning sign proposed for falls
by Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
August 13, 2008
The recent drowning death of a college student from Massachusetts is prompting an effort to deter future thrill-seekers by placing warning signs near Kootenai Falls.
"We’ve got an ongoing problem with young lads jumping in there, not understanding what that water’s going to do to them," said Terry Crooks of David Thompson Search & Rescue during a meeting last week with the Lincoln County commissioners and U.S. Forest Service officials.
Over the past five or six years, three young men have died after diving into the Kootenai River near the swinging bridge downstream from the falls, Crooks said.
"There’s a lot of frustration," he said. "People keep asking us, ‘Why isn’t there a sign there?’"
While some have proposed a memorial with the names of those who died, Crooks said he’s afraid that would be seen as a challenge. He proposed a more stark warning sign, which he suggested would have "a chilling effect."
The proposed warning sign notes that more than a dozen lives have been lost in the river near the falls, and that the water is "filled with powerful undertows and deceptive currents."
The wild nature of the Kootenai draws kayakers from all over the world, many of whom post videos of their exploits online at YouTube. When 22-year-old Sam Sylvester jumped into the river on July 25, a friend was recording the action, Crooks said.
"He landed; he was swimming well," Crooks said. "They said he was moving, but he couldn’t make it to the shore."
Sylvester’s body was recovered Aug. 2 after being spotted floating down the river at Troy.
Commissioner John Konzen was supportive of the proposal and indicated that the county would look into placing warning signs at its park at the entrance to the falls area.
"I think it’s a good idea," he said. "I don’t think it can hurt anything."
Kootenai National Forest Supervisor Paul Bradford, however, expressed concerns about potential liability issues if the Forest Service erects warning signs near the falls but doesn’t take additional action to prevent people from entering the dangerous stretch of river.
"We’re talking about it, and I would see some kind of sign coming, but you’ve got half a mile there with the same kind of stuff," he said.
_______________________________________
Editor’s Note: See the August 11, 2008 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Monday, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
|
